Potato-planter.



No. 718,067. PATENTED JAN. 13 1903.

- J. Q. ADAMS.

POTATO PLANTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1902. N0 MODEL 2 SHEBTS-SHBET 1.

WITNESSES: Q W'INVENTOR a AAA.

\ ATTOENEV No. 718,067.' PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

J. Q. ADAMS.

POTATO PLANTER. APPLICATION TILED FEB. 27, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 1 2 SHEETSSHEBT z.

W M WITNESSES: Q Q INVENTOR:

4414 BY MMA ORNEY n4: NORRIS PETERS on. PHoTourHa. wAsnmu'roN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN Q. ADAMS, OF TUSCOLA, MICHIGAN.

POTATOARLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Ifatent No. 718,067, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed February 27:, 19Q2. Serialllo. 95.958. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom it may concern-i r 3 Be it known that I, JOHN Q. ADAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tuscola, in the county of Tuscola and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Planters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in potato-planters; and

the improvements consist in the construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointedout in the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the working parts of the machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail of one of the claw-carrying bars. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail of the hopper-bottom.

A represents a hopper inzWhich the pota- Itsbottom 1, and rear end 2 are formed of narrow metal toes to be planted are placed.

bars or. slats separated by open spaces running lengthwise the bottom and up the rear side. A conveyer-chain 3 travels along the bottom of the hopper and below it and thence up the inclined rear end 2 of the hopper, as.

forward at their upper ends, so as -to.form* claws upon which the potatoes are impaled. Auxiliary points 6 are secured to the prongs 6, as shown in Fig. 2, to more firmly hold the potato in place. When the chains 3 are set in motion by the sprockets 4 the bars 5 move along the bottom and up the rear end 2-of the hopper, eachpair of prongs 6 projecting into the hopper through the longitudinal slits or openings 1 in the bottom 1 and end 2. As the prongs travel along the bottom of the hopper in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, each pair impalesa potato and carries it along the bottom and up the inclined .end 2, the rearward inclination of which permits loose pieces to drop back into the hopper, while the impaled pieces are carried on over the pulley 4: and down the flight 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Below the flight 3 is a'chute7, into which the potatoes are dropped and by which they are guided into the furrow. in the earth.

. .:In practice I prefer to provide two pairs of claws for each bar 5, as shown in Fig. 2, and to soplace them on the bars that one pair of claws will not follow directly in the path of the preceding pair, but will travel in a different set of openings 1 in the bottom 1 and end 2. Thus the entire bottom of the hopper can be served by the claws and all of the potatoes can be removed. When two pairs I of claws are used on each bar, as above stated,

two potatoes will be impaled simultaneously and carried over the sprocket 4. In this case Ldivide the chute] into two branches 7 and 7", one discharging at theright and the other at the left of the centerline of the machine, so that two rows can be planted simultaneonslyr I To strip the, potatoes from the claws 6, I employ the device'illustrated in Fig. 2, in which 8 is a metalframe pivoted at one end to the bar 5 and arranged so thatits outer end will normally lie fiat upon the face of the bar 5, but can be swung around, so as to, pass down the sides of the impaling-prongs in the left side of Fig. 2 and stripthepotatoes from them. In order to operate the frames 8 atIthe proper instant, I provide each frame with a downwardly-projecting trip-lever or wiper 8. To operate the wipers, a horizontal bar or red 9 is provided, being slightly in advance of the plane in which the bars 5 move in the flight 3 and extending transversely to it. As the bars 5 are carried downward past the rod 9 theprojecting wipers 8 strike the rod 9 and are forced by it to an upright position against the bar, causing the frames 8 to turn about exact intervals, the lower ends of the chutes can be provided with trap-doors 10, connected by a rocking shaft 11, which is operated by a lever 12, the movement of which opens the doors 1O simultaneously. The lever 12 is provided with an opening 12 to take a wire or cable 13, carrying buttons or similar projections 13*. The wire 13 is strung along the field, and by the temporary catching of the buttons 13 m the openings 12 the trap-doors 10 are opened to discharge the potatoes.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to drive the conveyer 3 from the main wheels 14 of the machine. The particular mechanism for connecting the shaft 4 to the main shaft 14: is unimportant, as this may be accomplished in many different ways; but the mechanism which I prefer to employ is shown in Fig. 1, where 15 is a sprocket-wheel fixed to the shaft 14*. 16 is a driving-chain connecting the sprocket 15 with the sprocket 17, carried by a shaft 17. The shaft 17 also carries a gear 18, and this gear meshes with a second gear 19, mounted on the drivingshaft 4 In the drawings the gears 18 and 19 are represented diagrammatically for the sake of clearness.

I have not illustrated the furrow opening or covering mechanism, as such mechanism is well known, and any suitable form of such device can be employed in connection with my invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A potato-planter comprising in combination a hopper having a slatted bottom and a slatted end; a conveyer mou nted to travel outside the hopper in proximity to said bottom and end; impaling-prongs carried by said conveyer and projecting into the hopper through the openings of said bottom and end; and means for operating the conveyer.

2. Apotat-o-planter comprisingin combination a hopper having a slatted bottom and a slatted end; a pair of conveyer-chains mounted to travel outside said hopper, in proximity to said bottom and end; traveling bars connecting said chains; prongs mounted on said bars and projecting into said hopper through the openings between the slats of said bottom and end; and means for operating the chains for the purpose set forth. v

3. A potato-planter comprising in combination a hopper having a longitudinally-slatted bottom and an inwardly-inclined verticallyslatted end a pair of conveyer-chains mounted to travel outside said hopper in proximity to said bottom and end; transverse bars carried by said chains; forwardly-projecting prongs mounted on said bars and projecting into the hopper through the openings between the slats of said bottom and end; strippingframes pivotally mounted on said bars adapted to release the potatoes from the prongs; and means for operating said chains for the purpose set forth.

4. Apotato-plantercomprisingin combination a hopper having a'longitudinally-slatted bottom, and a vertically-slatted inwardly-inclined end; a pair of conveyer-chains mounted to travel outside the hopper in proximity to said bottom and end; transverse bars carried by said chains; forwardly-projecting prongs mounted on said bars and projecting through the openings between the slats of said bottom and end into the hopper; stripping-frames pivoted to said bars; a rod to operate said frames; driving-wheels; and driving mechanism connecting said chains with said driving wheels to actuate said chains.

5. A potato-planter com prising in combination a hopper having a slatted bottom anda slatted end; a pair of conveyer-chains mount- 1 ed to travel outside said hopper in proximity to said bottom and end; traveling bars connecting said chains; means for actuating said chains; pairs of forwardly-extending prongs mounted on said bars and projecting into the hopper between the slats of said bottom and end; stripping-frames pivotally mounted at one end to said bars, and adapted to pass down the sides of the impaling-prongs to strip the potatoes therefrom; a trip-lever secured to each stripping frame, and a stationary transverse bar for actuating said trip-lever substantially as described.

6. In combination with a potato-planter of the class described, a pair of conveyer-chains; cross-bars extending transversely from one chain to the other at intervals throughout the length of the chains; a plurality of upwardlyextending prongs secured to each bar, said prongs having forwardly-extending claws, the prongs carried bysuccessive bars traveling in paths offset from each other; a metal frame for each prong, each frame mounted at one end to the cross-bar and having its outer end arranged to pass down the sides of the impaling-prongs, and provided with a downwardly-projecting trip-lever; and a stationary bar for operating said trip-levers; all arranged for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

JOHN Q. ADAMS.

Witnesses:

I. GOULD, JAMES C. HANSON. 

